


Lance's Livestream

by JanFics



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith loves Lance's channel, Lance is a YouTuber AU, M/M, Mild Language, No longer just light klance but can you blame me, Oneshot, YouTube, cursing, light klance, youtuber!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2018-10-01 15:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10193012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JanFics/pseuds/JanFics
Summary: What if you had the chance to speak to your favourite YouTuber and be a part of their biggest video yet?Keith jumps at the chance, sending his number off to TheLegendLance in the hope that he'll be chosen. Lance, with Hunk, has no idea how life changing the call they make will be.Is Keith a true Legendary Defender? Will he pass the Paladin Challenge? Whatisthe thing Lance always forgets?





	1. The Livestream

Hunk checked the lights and the camera; Lance checked the mirror to see that he was ready.

 _It's almost time guys, only thirty more seconds!_ Lance typed out to the 12,967 people already watching the stream. He turned to Hunk.

"We ready, Hunk?"

"Everything's good and waiting for you."

Lance laughed nervously. "I'm so fucking worried about this."

"What? You do this every week and I'm here this time."

"This time it's live - it's different."

Hunk moved from behind the camera to slap his friend on the shoulder. "Everything will be fine, bro. This is the next step and you're gonna do great."

Lance smiled. "Thanks, man."

On went the camera. Lance leaned in.

"So, what's up, my Legendary Defenders? It's TheLegendLance here, accompanied by none other than my main man Hunk behind the camera." - "Hey!" - "So today is something very special, it's something I've talked about doing for ages now: it's the Live Fan Call! I asked for your numbers a few crazy people actually sent them in. Hunk, do you have the list?"

"Here it is." Hunk passed the sheet to Lance with a flourish.

"Hmm," Lance pored over the list, "we will go with... K.O.Gane. If you're watching, get ready because we're about to call yoooou!"

He typed in the number, double checked, put loudspeaker on and called. The line rang... and rang... and rang...

"Ooh, is anyone gonna pick up?"

"Wait," Hunk said excitedly, "I hear something."

"The owner can't take your call right now," a robotic voice intoned, "so please leave your message after-- Hello?"

"They picked up!" Lance punched the air and Hunk joined in.

"Hello? Is anyone there? It's Keith here."

"Yes, yes, it's Lance and Hunk here. No, actually it's TheLegendLance and you're my first ever live fan call. Are you happy to hear me?"

"Ha, yeah, I'm glad I got to my phone in time."

"Good! Now, you almost didn't pick up, so are you a true Legendary Defender or are you a hater?" Lance raised his eyebrows to the camera.

"Definitely a Defender."

"A _Legendary_ Defender?"

Keith laughed nervously. "Yeah, totally."

"I didn't hear you _say it_. Let me hear the love."

There was the slightest hesitation down the line. "I'm a Legendary Defender."

Lance winked at the camera. "Good. Now we've got that cleared up, tell us a bit about yourself. Keith's the name, right?"

Keith was glad no one could see him smile. "Yeah, I'm Keith, I almost missed your call because I just got home and I think you've got room for improvement in your videos, especially the simulator ones."

Lance burst out laughing. "Hey, I happen to be amazing at Goat Simulator! Sounds like we've got a critic here, you want to show me how it's done?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to. Anytime."

"But I'm pretty cool, aren't I? I'm a sharpshooter of jokes."

"Are you?"

Lance leaned towards the camera. "Can you believe this guy?"

"I'm watching the video, you know."

" _Obviously_ you're watching: I'm great, no matter what you say. And it's Legendary _Defender_ , not Legendary _Offender_!"

Keith laughed and Lance grinned in success. "See, I knew you loved me really."

"Don't worry, I do love you, Lance."

"Okay then, Keith, I think we're ready to take..."

"THE PALADIN CHALLENGE!" Lance and Hunk shouted together.

"I'm ready, guys," Keith said, sitting at his desk and forgetting the stupid grin on his face. Now was the time.

"First question: What was my nickname in the first GTA Let's Play I ever did?"

"Easy. The Tailor."

"Correctamundo! That was too easy though. Question two: If I had to choose, which bending ability would I have from Avatar: The Last Airbender?"

Keith paused to think. "Was it waterbending?"

"Ooh, correct again but only just this time. Three: what's the name of the cat in my Sims Let's Play?"

"Blue. And I'm pretty sure she was a baby lion, not just a cat."

"True, true," Lance admitted, "and Hunk is saying you should get double points for that. Question four: what's the one thing I always forget?"

"All those bonding moments with your friends, maybe?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." He looked up. "No, Hunk, you're not allowed to give him a point for that." There was a muffled conversation. "I do not! Anyway, the answer I was looking for was my passwords. You'll need this last point to become a Paladin, Keith! Final question:..."

Lance stood up and walked about, muttering, until after a minute he stopped next to the camera looking out the window.

"Yes, I know what to ask. Since you can't see on the video, correctly guess what the weather is like outside my window and I'll make you a Paladin."

"Wha- How? That's impossible! I'll never be able to guess," Keith protested.

"Just... use your imagination, or maybe even observation. Deduce what the weather is like here." Lance turned to the camera and smirked.

"I'll go with cloudy, overcast and gray."

"You'll have to do better than that; that could be anywhere," Lance said.

"Well, foggy too then - I can barely see anything out my window."

Lance stood up slowly. "That's... right." If he was happy for his fan, the viewers thought, he didn't show it. He frowned, put his face up to the glass of the window and squinted. Sure enough, there was a red and black silhouette in the top window of his neighbors' house. "Keith Kogane?! Shit." He fell back into his chair, his eyes wild.

"Oh fuck," Keith said, ending the call and dropping his phone as if it had burned him.

"Shit, shit, shit," Lance said as he scrambled to stop recording.

"Lance, the mic's still on! What's going on?" Hunk said.

"That was my neighbor Keith! My neighbor! He said he loved me."

"Oh shit, not the neighbor you've got a crush on?"

The audio cut out and the stream ended. Keith, still paralyzed in shock in his bedroom chair, couldn't believe his ears.


	2. The Aftermath

_This could be it,_ Hunk thought, _the most amazing video ever, of two boys professing their love for one another._

But Hunk's excitement died the moment he looked at Lance. Instead of urging him next door, he planted himself on the bed next to his best friend and put his arm around him.

"Why?" Lance murmured. He fell onto Hunk and buried his head in his shoulders, sobbing. "Why is everything always so- so _fucked_?"

Hunk opened his mouth, wanted to tell Lance to think about what Keith had said. Wasn't it clear the feelings were mutual? But he couldn't do that to his friend, couldn't bring him round from his emotions yet. He hugged Lance tight, unsure of whether he should be the one doing it.

"Hunk," Lance pulled his head off Hunk's shoulder and looked away. "Hunk, I need some time. Just myself, probably to sleep."

"Sure." Hunk stood and made his way to the bedroom door, surveying the bombsite of a room - equipment was strewn everywhere - one last time before looking back to Lance.

"You get some rest, man. I'll come by tomorrow."

"Thanks, Hunk." Lance smiled and Hunk returned it gratefully.

* * *

Hunk sighed. There was only one place he could go now - he wouldn't be Hunk if he didn't go. It wasn't gonna be easy.

He walked the small distance to the house next door, taking a deep breath as he knocked.

Seconds passed, maybe even a minute before the door opened.

"Yeah?" said the broad shouldered young man who opened the door. No, Hunk thought, he's not a Keith.

Lies didn't wash with Hunk so he decided on not bothering with explanations. "Is Keith in?"

"No, sorry," he said. "He's out."

Hunk sighed. He wouldn't have known what to say anyway.

"That's okay, I guess I'll catch him some other time." He tried to keep frustration from his voice.

"Sure. I'll tell him you dropped by. Bye."

Hunk had already begun to walk away when the door shut. What could he do? To help Lance? To help Keith? He shook his head: nothing - he couldn't do anything to help.

***

The indicator light on Keith's phone flashed. One moment the light illuminated the room in bright blue, then the dark flooded back as it flicked off, on and on until Keith finally picked up the phone.

He moved to swipe the Facebook notification away but the name caught his eye. Hunk Garrett. He almost swiped it away anyway. Almost.

"Shit," he muttered. He'd already come to the house earlier, and now this.

He didn't move to see what the message was but instead went onto Hunk's profile and into his friends list, into the mutual section.

There was only one: Pidge Gunderson.

He threw his phone to the end of his bed. That's how he found me; it's the only way. He allowed friends of friends to find his profile. From there, anyone could message him.

He rubbed his eyes and winced at the pain. His head felt like it was being squeezed by a too-tight helmet, with a fire burning at the center.

From his bed, he looked out the window at the sunset scene. The sun lit the houses opposite from behind - it was almost as if there was a halo around Lance's house.

He closed the blinds and picked up his phone, putting his worries aside. He couldn't postpone the moment any longer.

Hunk had sent only a link - a YouTube video. With a deep breath, he tapped to open it.

 _For Your Eyes Only_ , the title read.

Lance looked away from the camera as soon as the video started. The few seconds of silence spread out, giving Keith an eternity to study that face. _He's been crying._ He pulled his eyes from the screen, angry at himself and a tad embarrassed that he's a little turned on. He seems that little bit closer, more real, in his sadness. _He's been crying and it's my fault._

Lance's voice pulled him back, forcing him to watch. Keith locked eyes with Lance.

"I'm sorry." He exhaled. "This is the hardest video I've ever had to make and it's only gonna be a short one because I only have one thing to say. I-" The words caught in his throat momentarily. "I'm gonna delete my channel. That last video - that's not what I want; I don't want any of this. I mean, to be honest, I'm not sure what my channel's ever been about but not that. That was awful. I feel worthless. Like shit-"

Keith hit pause. Everything hit him: his eyes felt like stars burning into his head, joining with the fire in the rest of his head. His jaw was sore from clenching his teeth, and his ears were ringing.

_He's wrong._

Keith jumped to his feet and tore his jacket from its hook, stuffing his arms through the sleeves. He pulled on his shoes and laced them with fingers moving as deftly as a master pianist. He slammed his bedroom door, then the door to the house, and then he was on the home stretch, only a few more steps to Lance's house.

Then he breathes.

* * *

Hunk's seen the video but hasn't responded. What does he think? Should I put this one last video out, to explain? Should I delete everything now, for Keith's sake?

Lance let his head fall back against the pillow and pulled his legs up and in. Even though the sun had set, the curtains glowed dark blue.

He closed his eyes, let his breathing slow and let go, time unravelling around him, slower and slower.

He opened his eyes to nothing, and then tried to open them again just to make sure. It was night now; He must have fallen asleep.

There was a knocking from somewhere outside his room. _A window?_ Lance wondered, deciding it was probably just a branch from the tree outside.

But the sound came again - a tapping, slower and softer this time, then harder the next. Irregular. _Human._

He rose from his bed, creeping through the door and out into the hall. All the curtains were open, letting in the night. No one else was home.

In the bathroom, the window betrayed nothing. It's misted glass was solid black.

Something knocked on the window. Lance reached out to the latch and cautiously turned the handle so it opened silently. His hand slipped. The window flew open.

"Oh shit!" A figure stumbled back, almost falling over the edge of the roof. But something slipped, crashing to the ground with a metallic clang.

They recovered and peered into the bathroom, coming face to face with Lance. He didn't need the meager light to know it was Keith. "Can I come in?"

"What?! No." Lance reached past, forcing Keith out the way, and pulled the window shut. He slithered down the wall and sat on the cold floor. _Fuck Keith._

His eyelids fell, trying to pull him back to sleep. His mind was blank and he simply breathed, finding peace in the motion of it. A thought bubbled up: the ladder. It was the ladder that fell from the garage roof.

He opened the window again, this time merely brushing the top of Keith's head. He was sitting against the wall too, shivering, but he didn't react.

"Come in."

Keith looked up; Lance looked away.

"You can come in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, there is more to this story, it turns out. Sorry it took a month!


	3. The Meeting

Keith didn't see Lance's face as he walked out the bathroom but a quick glance in the mirror showed how tired he looked. The air had felt heavy ever since his call with Lance. _Heavy with potential and dread_ , Keith thought.

It was a long time before Lance said anything as they sat side-by-side on his bed.

It had taken Keith a moment to relax after they had sat down, and a moment more before he began to realise how familiar the room felt to him. From the blue beanbag in tatters in the corner to the mysterious cigar case barely visible amid the clutter on the shelf, he knew the room through and through. He couldn't help smiling.

"I've decided," said Lance, sounding surprisingly cheerful.

"Huh? Decided what?"

Lance turned to him. "I've decided what we're gonna do, of course, about us."

Keith fought the urge to turn away and lost. It was easy to be carefree over the phone, but here, he could barely manage sitting still. "Sure, and what's that?"

Lance puckered his lips audibly.

_Oh my god._ He couldn't bear to look back now.

Lance snorted. "I'm not gonna kiss your cheek like you're some shy milk maid, Keith." He puckered up again teasingly.

Keith whipped around. "Hey man, not cool, not--"

Lance kissed him quickly, leaving Keith awkwardly off-balance.

Lance sighed in relief. "Much better. I feel okay now: in control, y'know?"

"Yeah," Keith said. His mind was blank, thoughts and words drifting incomplete across a vacuum, but he was aware of a warmth inside him, his heart thumping as if impatient to escape from his chest and a smile on his face. "That's... good."

Lance whooped and hooted, threading his arm around Keith.

"Lance, don't. I don't want your parents waking up."

"My parents? Ha! They're away right now, they won't be back until next week."

Keith put his hand on Lance's chest. "What?"

Lance's face fell into a look of concern. "Keith..."

He locked eyes with Lance. In the pit of his stomach he felt sick. Why was he acting like this? It wasn't right; he wasn't being Keith. _But was that such a bad thing?_ He tried a smirk as he said: "You mean I climbed up to your bathroom for nothing?"

Lance moved closer and whispered to him. "I enjoyed your ninja skills, Keith. Very impressive."

Together, they fell back onto the bed. Minutes passed. Keith wondered what Lance was thinking about - there didn't seem a lot else to think about apart from each other and that was, well, a bit weird.

He breathed slowly, eager to rid himself of the last thing weighing on him. “I’ve seen the video you’re going to put up.” Lance’s smile faltered for a second but recovered. He shrugged.

"Pidge says there's been a lot of interaction with the channel these past few hours."

Keith opened his mouth to speak but Lance carried on.

"It's all up in the air at the moment. Could go one way or another. I don't know what people think or are going to think or whether it's even a good or bad thing that they're gonna think about this at all. All I want is to sleep, to have a rest."

At that, the shadow of a smile crossed Keith's face but Lance, eyes closed, didn't see.

But he did open them, minutes later, and he seemed to Keith calmer than he had ever seen.

"Thanks, Keith."

"For what? Why?"

"For everything. For what's happened today and for now."

"It's fine," Keith said, feeling a little lost. "This afternoon... I’m sorry."

“Keith, no,” he said softly, tentatively sitting up. “No apology necessary.” After a while, sitting together with their backs against the wall, Lance almost laughed. "Pidge’s bugged me to do something big to push the channel forward for ages. I wonder if he'll be satisfied now?"

"She."

"No, I'm talking about this whizz-kid, Pidge. He keeps an eye on the stats and stuff - he's a fan, too."

Keith stared at him, smiling mischievously.

"What? Pidge Gunderson. You heard of him?" Lance shrugged. "He says he's from around here but I'm sure I've never met him."

"Yeah," Keith said. "I'm not surprised."

Lance stared right back.

"Katie Gunderson, whose brother is Matt Gunderson, calls herself Pidge."

Lance was staggered, one hand over his face before bursting into laughter.

“Oh man, Keith,” he said, putting his arm around his shoulder. “It’s been one hell of a day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, perhaps, but hopefully satisfying.
> 
> Until next time! - Jan

**Author's Note:**

> Now with more than one chapter!
> 
> Leave comments if you like, and don't forget to check out [my Tumblr](http://janfics.tumblr.com) if you enjoyed this fic.


End file.
